PATIENTS with hospital appointments during Wednesday's junior doctors’ strike should go unless they have been advised not to, health bosses say.

Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust runs Fairfield Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary and has issued advice ahead of the 24-hour strike, which is being held to in opposition to Government's proposals to shake up pay and working conditions.

Trust doctors are also asking the public to think carefully before coming to A&E and to only attend on the day of the strike if there is an emergency.

Acting Medical Director at the Trust, Dr Anton Sinniah, has made this request as services are already stretched due to the winter pressures affecting all hospitals nationally.

A Trust spokesman added: "We have robust plans in place to ensure all wards are safely covered and essential services are maintained on the day of the strike.

"Emergency care, including A&E and emergency surgery, will run as normal during the strike.

"However, people should think carefully before coming to A&E and consider using alternative community healthcare services, such as a pharmacist, GP or NHS 111, unless it is an emergency."

The Trust’s cancer services, maternity services including neonatal and labour wards, will also run as normal, as will pathology, radiology, rheumatology and ophthalmology services.

Where some non-urgent operations and outpatient clinic appointments have needed to be rearranged, patients have been contacted directly.

Patients are being advised that unless they are contacted by trust prior to the strike that their scheduled treatments will go ahead as normal.

Dr Sinniah said: "Patient safety and the welfare of our patients is the trust’s top priority and will continue to be so on the day of the strike.

"Our A&E departments and urgent care services will operate as usual, but we are asking the public to think carefully before automatically coming to A&E.

"The right places to go if your condition is not an emergency is your local pharmacist, GP, or to call NHS 111 or use the NHS Choices website.

"Some of our scheduled non-emergency and planned services have been rearranged on the day of the strike and the patients concerned have all been contacted.

"If a patient’s care has to be postponed and rescheduled we have let them know.

"People with minor complaints may experience longer waiting times than normal.”